What does your baptism mean to you now?

My baptism to me now is just one of the worst mistakes I ever made. But I don't even remember the date I took the dip or how old I was. I just remember my step-mom fussing at me that morning for something probably petty and that I was in a bad mood all morning even tho that was supposed to be a "joyous" occasion.

My baptism was the result of fraud on the part of the WTS and emotional manipulation on the part of my father. As such, it is at best meaningless and at worst a symbol of my being taken advantage of and manipulated by those I trusted for the first ~30 years of my life.

That raises an interesting point, maybe often a baptism can be the joyous occasion for parents, guardians or study conductors, rather than the person baptised. I call this "ego " rather than " love". ( once again the genuine meaning of " love" is misunderstood)

For what was meant to be the most significant and important event of my life I hardly remember a single thing about it.

Same as many have said above. I was young and vulnerable and got rapidly indoctrinated and love bombed, didn't have clue what I was doing, did not have and never have had any tangible relationship with any invisible, undetectable, unknowable, unreachable God or his apparent and equally absent son. At the time however I do recall that I was sinning my ass off and so to me for all these reasons my baptism is about as significant as my first puff off a cigarette, my first experience with alcohol, my first frolic with a girl and my first punch up..

Each of which are now just a vague meaningless blur and just as invalid.

I can not be baptised into a concept or an idea.. a theory or an opinion.. I can not be baptised based into something based entirely on 3,000 year old stories told to me by dodgy window cleaning magazine salesmen.

If the Bible is to be seen as true.. everyone it speaks of that made such a commitment had either a personal experience, calling, vision or slap in the head from God himself and/or Jesus. Until I experience similar I refuse any longer to delude myself with fanciful stories, myths, fables and legends that jumping into a bath tub somehow connects me to the creator of the universe and makes him and I best friends.

Thanks Rebel, great name by the way! 'Gifts in Men' is the title of my book about the way i was badly treated by these so called 'gifts'. The audacity of them... actually had one of them remind me of the term when I told them I no longer held any respect for them, I sent him a copy highlighting what poisonous gifts he and they all proved to be.

GodZoo:- ." makes my baptism about as significant as my first puff off a cigarette, my first exsperience with alcohol, my first frolic with a girl and my first punch up...."

So wrong !! I bet your first puff on a cigarette was fun, your first experience of alcohol fun ( if you didn't puke up ) As for your first frolic with a girl (This is something I bet you never tire of repeating) So that only leaves your first punch up, and let me put you in my shoes on that one, Well that was quite significant to me, and believe me on that one baptism wins every time.

It was a huge mistake. And one that could yet have far-reaching consequences.

You see, prior to June 1985, the questions read:

(1) Have you repented of your sins and turned around, recognizing yourself before Jehovah God as a condemned sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

This means you would have the chance to sue the washtowel, or if they tried to sue you back in, you could countersue them because your vow of obedience was to do joke-hova's will as revealed through Jesus and the LIE-ble. If the washtowel contradicts these, they are forcing you to go against your vow.

Now, starting June 1985, the questions read:

On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?

Notice the change. Now, you are vowing to obey the washtowel, not just the bible. You vow to do joke-hova's will according to its organization (which is the washtowel). If you get sued back in, you are sxxx out of luck because you technically avowed yourself to obey the washtowel, no matter how much they changed their doctrine. You cannot sue them for forcing you to disavow yourself from obeying the bible because your vow was to obey the washtowel instead. This took effect for those baptized June 1985 and later.

And now, with Saturn entering Sagittarius September 17 local time (or September 18 at 2:49 AM GMT), this favors legal actions. This coincides nicely with the return to joke-hova brochure push that starts with the new circus year. This is one more reason I hope the whole financial system goes kaput before September 17, so they will be on survival mode and not be able to do anything while they figure out where their next meal is coming from. The last thing I want is to be forced to do field circus 170 hours a month with minimum placement requirements, get forced to donate all my silver (and other items of value) to the washtowel, and throw away everything of any value.

Anyone that is thinking of getting baptized, I urge you to not do it. You are getting into a legal bind that could be used against you. They might decide merely to disfellowship you, but the suing you back in card (and contempt of court charge, possible Seroquil, and getting hosted in an out of town venue to force you into obeying them) could be played. They cannot do anything of this sort if you are not baptized.

GodZoo:- ." makes my baptism about as significant as my first puff off a cigarette, my first exsperience with alcohol, my first frolic with a girl and my first punch up...."So wrong !! I bet your first puff on a cigarette was fun, your first experience of alcohol fun ( if you didn't puke up ) As for your first frolic with a girl (This is something I bet you never tire of repeating) So that only leaves your first punch up, and let me put you in my shoes on that one, Well that was quite significant to me, and believe me on that one baptism wins every time.The Rebel.

First cigarette (aged 9) I puked up.. first alcohol experience (aged 10) I puked up, first frolic with a girl (aged 7) I did not puke up.. but you're actually right.. I can remember every detail and feeling and visual regarding all these 3 events.

Baptism? Genuinely a complete blur.. there is no emotional and certainly no spiritual memory/feeling at all. As though it never happened.